Thread: Musical Instruments

Also, I'm very new to the idea of Lucid Dreaming. Do you think keeping a dream journal should be the first thing I start to do in order to obtain lucidity?

Originally Posted by slush

Also, I'm very new to the idea of Lucid Dreaming. Do you think keeping a dream journal should be the first thing I start to do in order to obtain lucidity?

Yes,

I do believe that practicing and intstrument in a dream could help with say, piano, or fretwork on a guitar. It could however be worse that useless for instuments like the violin or trumpet.

I think that playing instruments in dreams is as effective as in waking life, if you have played the instrument before i.e. you know how to play the instrument.

My psychology teacher said that even watching the sheet music will be effective; the same neurons will be activated as they would when you actually play the instrument or something like that. Why not in dreams?

So yes, playing in dreams will help, imo.

Oh, sorry for bad English

Usually whenever I find myself playing an instrument in dreams I'm really good at it. I play guitar often in waking life and write music sometimes, and I find it really annoying to remember dreaming of a song that was incredible but cannot possibly replicate it. Maybe music is just more powerful in dreams?

i am also a 6 string bassist... i dont know if playing instruments really helps all that much. like it was mentioned before, you would have to have an amazing sense of your instrument and the piece you were working on to actually help. because how could it help if you play any note and it sounds good?

Originally Posted by FluBB

i am also a 6 string bassist... i dont know if playing instruments really helps all that much. like it was mentioned before, you would have to have an amazing sense of your instrument and the piece you were working on to actually help. because how could it help if you play any note and it sounds good?

Interested in a 1999 Fender MIA Jazz 4?
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=610677

Im looking to fund for and SR5006.

Great to hear aanother 6er! (Well, i'm a 6er, love 6s, etc. etc. etc. but I don't have a 6.)

But yes, all that is true.

It trains the mind. For example if you picked up the flute only once, or the guitar only once, and learned a few scales, but you have to think in order to play them. In the dream your subconscious mind is learning it so that when you are awake you won't have to think as hard. It will be more automatic.
That is how I mastered bebop scales.

oh no.. not an ibanez!!!
one day you will see the light and get a carvin. i have a 15yr old LB76 and works like a dream. sorry i actually am interested in that bass but dont have the money ha ha. but back to the discussion..

Originally Posted by Dannon Oneironaut

It trains the mind. For example if you picked up the flute only once, or the guitar only once, and learned a few scales, but you have to think in order to play them. In the dream your subconscious mind is learning it so that when you are awake you won't have to think as hard. It will be more automatic.
That is how I mastered bebop scales.

that is so cool, i have only really thought of it as being a way to learn NEW songs, not practice regular old stuff like scales. it does make sense that people would be more comfortable with what they are playing if they play in in their dreams.

I don't have much experience LDing (just a few with very little control), but I definatley think that you can become better at any musical instrument by practicing it in a dream.

Take guitar for instance...you have a piece of music that you know like the back of your hand..you know exactly where to put your fingers to play any certain part of the tune. You just want to practice to know the piece better. If you know a tune to this extent, what is the difference between practicing the piece in waking life or dream life? As you practice in your dream..it feels just the same as everyday normal practice and therefore becomes easier to play through in your waking life because it increases hearing, sight, and muscle memory. I think that this technique can work with any instrument.

On a different note..I don't think that it is possible to actually write a song on your instrument and remember it when you wake up. You might remember where to put your fingers, or how the tune sounds...but the two won't match up unless you can write a tune in waking life without having your instrument in front of you. In a dream..the notes come out sounding how YOU want them to.

Sorry to ramble..but in short - I think LDing can be a good way to develop cleaner playing; and also practice pieces and teqniques already learned...but it doesn't help much when used to try and learn new material in a dream.

Originally Posted by FluBB

one day you will see the light and get a carvin. i

FluBB, can you tell me if this looks familiar to you?

Steinberger XQ2 w/ EMG BQC preamp
MIM Deluxe Jazz
Sadowsky RV5
Carvin LB76 w/ Bartolini NTMB preamp
Carvin BX500
Bergantino HT/EX 112's

Mottus, as an accomplished bass player, I don't believe any of what you're saying is very true. There is a point where what you play is only to play it cleaner. However, you can't practice without the instrument. No matter how well you know the piece, the pressure you apply, your floating thumb, your action, your intonation, and the reactions to all that, will be off in a dream.

I read an article...

Originally Posted by Clamosus

My psychology teacher said that even watching the sheet music will be effective; the same neurons will be activated as they would when you actually play the instrument or something like that. Why not in dreams?

It stated that the same neurons are activated/released, whatever, in your dream as in real life. For example, if you practice running in your dream, the same neurons are used as if you were running in real life. So, if you know all of the notes on a guitar, and you expect the guitar to play normally in your dream, it might work as expected. You have to expect it to work normally, if you think that the pitches will be off because it's a dream, they will be.

I have played my accoustic for a few years, and I'm not that bad. I am planning to get a good electric, like a les paul studio, or standard. I can't buy it for a few months. When I have an LD, I really hope I can find a les paul and play it right. I know what they sound like and all, because I have messed around with my friends.

My dad has a les paul studio and a gibson marauder. As well as an ibanez & sigma acoustic.

That studio is a nice guitar. Though I personally prefer an Ibanez Prestige.


Then again, i'm a bassist. My guitar taste isn't extremely picky. For a bass i need 19mm spacing, bartolini soapbars, mahogany fretboard, maple or wenge/bubinga neck, mahogany or ash body. String gauges .150-.60 or so, roundwounds (5 string). A bolt on neck. And much much more.

Yeah, you have to know what all of the sounds sound like that the instrument makes. I'm a pianist(1 1/2 years), and I know all of the notes and I'm able to make songs in my lucid dreams. Its really fun.

Yeah, see with a stringed instrument any flaw in technique will change the sound.

Originally Posted by slush

Also, I'm very new to the idea of Lucid Dreaming. Do you think keeping a dream journal should be the first thing I start to do in order to obtain lucidity?

Yes, keeping a journal absolutely is the first thing you should do. I use a voice-activated recorder so I don't even have to move. I can just start talking. Then you can listen later and type it up if you want to.